Spanner type flywheel rotating tool



Sept. 30, 1952,, F. J. BRUGMANN 2,612,067

SPANNER TYPE FLYWHEEL ROTATING TOOL I Filed June 27, 1949 mmvrozz. v F ANK J. finua/mlwv.

Patented Sept. 30, 1952 s PATENT SFANN" as TYPE FLYWHEEL ROTATING 'roor.

Frank J. Brugmann, Greeley, Colo.

Application June 2'7, 1949, Serial No. 101,625

1 Claim. 1

This invention relates to improvements in tools for rotating flywheels of internal combustion engines.

In the assembly, disassembly, and repair of automobile and other internal combustion engines it is common practice to rotate the engine by hand to position certain of the operative parts thereof, the flywheel usually being grasped by a hand to apply the necessary torque. Most flywheels of modern engines are equipped with a ring gear on the flywheel with which a gear on the electric starter engages. The teeth of this gear, when grasped to turn the engine, often cut the hands of the mechanic. Moreover, it the engine is stifi, that is, diflicult to turn because of tight operative parts, the flywheel does not offer suflicient leverage to rotate the engine. Certain tools have been devised for engaging these flywheel teeth and to provide a handle or lever with which the flywheel may be more easily turned, and it is to tools of this type that the present invention more particularly relates.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide an improved flywheel rotating tool which securely locks to the flywheel teeth when torque is applied to the tool in" one direction.

Another object is to provide a tool of the foregoing type which automatically releases from the teeth when torque is applied in an opposite direction.

Further objects are to provide a tool which is simple and rugged in construction, may be economically manufactured, and is eflicient in operation.

Still further objects, advantages, and salient features will become more apparent from the description to follow, the appended claim, and

the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the tool which forms the subject of the invention;

Figure 2 is a top plan as viewed from plane 2, Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a section taken on line 33, Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a section taken on line 4-4, Figgure 2; and

Figure 5 illustrates the tool in position applied to a flywheel when in use.

Referring in detail to the drawing, wherein the invention is illustrated by way of exempliflcation, the tool comprises a lever l0 having a knurled hand grip portion II at one end and a rectangular portion I2, such as a square, at its other. A pair of arms I3, l3a are pivoted at their right ends (Figures 1 and 2) to the end of portion I2 by means of a headed pin I4, such as a rivet, these anns being joined by a wall portion I5 at their left ends. A similar pair of arms, I6, Ilia are pivoted by a, rivet I! to portion I2, near their lift ends, and somewhat below rivet I4, these arms also being joined by a wall portion I8 at their right ends. A link I9 has one end disposed between an intermediate portion of arms I3, I311 and its other end between the outer ends of arms I6, lfia, the ends of this link being pivotally secured to the respective pairs 01 arms by pivot pins 20, 2|, such as rivets. Either one of walls IE or l8, or both, may be provided with an extension 22 which forms a stop to limit move-- ment of the tool and flywheel when in use, this extension abutting a portion of the flywheel casing on certain automobile engines. It is to be understood that this stop is not essential to the invention in its broader aspects, and is only a reflnement which may optionally be employed if so desired.

It will be observed that the distance between pivots I4, I! and 20, 2| is the same and the distance between pivots I4, 20 and I1, 2| is the same, thus forming a parallelogram linkage system joining the walls I5, I8 to lever III.

In the use of the device, walls I5, I8 are inserted between teeth of the flywheel 23 and with a slight force in the direction of arrow 24, Figure 5, the lever is rotated in the direction of arrow 25, this action drawing walls I5, I8 toward each other and firmly engaging the sides of teeth 26, 21, the angle of the walls relative to each other being teeth 26, 21, the angle of the walls relative to each other being so chosen that the walls will not slip from the teeth. With the added leverage the flywheel may be easily rotated in the direction of arrow 25 and when a new bite" is required, the lever is moved slightly in the opposite direction whereupon it automatically disengages from the teeth. If it be desired to rotate the flywheel in the opposite direction to arrow 25, the tool is merely rotated around the axis of the handle and applied to the teeth as previously described.

Having described the invention what I claim as new is:

An engine rotating tool comprising; a lever, a first arm pivotally connected directly to the lever adjacent one end of the latter and projecting laterally thereof in a first direction, a second arm pivotally connected directlyv to the lever in spaced relation to the first arm and projecting laterally of the lever in a direction opposite to REFERENCES CITED,-

The following references are of record in the tile of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,163,018 Knutson Dec. 7, 1915 1,636,058 Jordan July 19, 1927 2,259,922 Bohlander Oct. 21, 1941 FOREIGN PATENTS Number v Country Date 83,799 Sweden .Ju 1y 2, 1935 OTHER REFERENCES Poulan Mechanics, page 95, May 1947'. 

